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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. stem — to come from
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. pound — a weight
  8. rock — music
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — an injury
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. lean — to bend
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. foot — a measure
  18. lean — thin
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. sharp — clever
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. stem — a stem cell

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com